There is no denying that Mr. Ford’s two years as mayor have been a disappointment in many respects. While he has done a credible enough job on the issue for which he was elected – getting the city’s finances in some kind of order – he has frittered away much of the goodwill he might have expected through the seemingly unending series of scrapes, escapades and public embarrassments of which he was the focus.

The mayor seemed to have only one interest – controlling spending – and once some headway had been made on that front he spent most of his time getting himself needlessly into trouble. From skipping meetings so he could coach his football team, to haranguing city employees to spruce up the area around his family business, to run-ins with frightened reporters and cellphone photos of his eating and driving habits, Mr. Ford has spent far more time in the news over trivialities than he has overseeing the city. In the process he significantly diminished his own credibility and the stature of his office.

His loss of clout has not necessarily empowered the alternative, however. What happens now depends to what degree Ford Nation continues to exist, and its reaction to the ruling against him. Ford’s victory in the 2010 election was largely a response to the perception that Toronto council had become a prisoner of the left, which governed exclusively for a downtown core of entitled free spenders with an agenda that ignored suburban voters and the issues that mattered to them.

Those same left-wingers made it clear they had little interest in cooperating with the new regime, and the split has only grown worse as Mayor Ford, his brother Doug and a dwindling core of allies sought to bulldoze through their program with bluster and bullying in place of reasoned argument and efforts at compromise.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to hold onto his job after an Ontario judge gave him 14 days to vacate his seat.

Mr. Ford was found to have contravened the municipal conflict of interest act when he spoke and voted on a matter in which he had pecuniary interest at a city council meeting in February.

“Accordingly, I declare the seat of the respondent Robert Ford on Toronto city council, vacant,” wrote Justice Charles Hackland.

“In view of the significant mitigating circumstances surrounding the respondent’s actions …. I decline to impose any further disqualification from holding office beyond the current term.”

Given the impact on the City of Toronto, the judge ruled that “the operation of this declaration shall be suspended for a period of 14 days from the release of these reasons.”

Mr. Ford said he will appeal.

“Absolutely I’m appealing… I’m going to appeal it and carry on with my job and we’ll take it from there. I’m a fighter and I’ve done a lot of great work for the city and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” the mayor told a crush of reporters.

The situation “comes down to left-wing politics,” Mr. Ford said.

“The left wing wants me out of here and they’ll do anything in their power to and I’m going to fight tooth and nail to hold onto my job, and if they do for some reason get me out, I’ll be running right back at them,” he said. “As soon as the next election is, if there’s a byelection, my name is the first one on the ballot.”

As his brother began speaking, Councillor Doug Ford barrelled through the crowd of journalists, jostling reporters and cameramen as he moved toward the mayor’s side.

Later, the mayor reiterated that he would continue to fight for Torontonians “as long as they want me here.”

“The people are going to speak. I’m not going to have people say you can’t do this, you can’t do that. I’m going to fight for the taxpayers like I always have. I want to thank them for their support,” Mr. Ford said in a second brief address to reporters later Monday. “The calls are coming in fast and furious now, telling me to fight it, telling me to run again.”

He said the decision was “more disappointing than surprising,” but “you’ve just got to roll with the punches. You have to have skin on you like an alligator.”

Mr. Hackland said the mayor’s actions were “characterized by ignorance of the law and a lack of diligence in securing professional advice” which he said amounted to “willful blindness” on the part of Mr. Ford. “In view if the respondent’s leadership role in ensuring integrity in municipal government, it is difficult to accept an error in judgment defence based essentially on a stubborn sense of entitlement (concerning his football foundation) and a dismissive and confrontational attitude to the Integrity Commissioner and the Code of Conduct,” the judge wrote in his 24 page judgment.

The case centred on Mr. Ford’s participation in a debate and a vote regarding his own failure to reimburse $3,150 in donations to his private football foundation. The city’s integrity commissioner ruled that Mr. Ford improperly solicited donations from registered lobbyists and a company that had dealings with the city. Council initially asked him to repay the funds, but he did not, prompting the February vote.

A Toronto resident named Paul Magder brought the lawsuit against the mayor. He was represented by prominent Toronto litigator Clayton Ruby, who argued Mr. Ford clearly violated the act and should not only be ousted, but also banned from running again for seven years. Mr. Ford, meantime, testified he believes a conflict of interest only arises when both the city and himself benefit from a decision — and the city, he told the court, gleaned no such benefit.

REUTERS/Mark Blinch

“It’s important for the court to assert nobody is above the law, Rob Ford included,” said Mr. Ruby. He told reporters at a press conference at city hall that the decision is about “preserving the integrity of municipal government.”

“While we’re pleased to have won this case, we’re also saddened by it. It is tragic that the elected mayor of a great city should bring himself to this,” said Mr. Ruby. “Rob Ford did this to Rob Ford. It could so easily have been avoided. It could have been avoided if Rob Ford had used a bit of common sense and if he had played by the rules.”

Mr. Magder, for his part, had a grim look on his face, calling it a “sad” day for the city, while maintaining it had to be done. “It’s sad because we spent so much time and money on this matter, instead of nurturing our city and growing into a wonderful place to live.”

Mr. Ruby could not shed light on what happens next, beyond noting that the judgement is suspended for 14 days and the mayor has a right of appeal at the divisional court level. The ruling does not prevent the mayor from running again “beyond the current term,” but it is not clear if that means he would be eligible to run in a by-election or would have to wait until the regular date at the polls in 2014.

He often breaks the rules and gets away with it. Well this time he didn’t… Sometimes he’s stubborn and pig-headed and this is where he’s landed himself because of it

Mr. Ruby previously attacked the mayor’s “peculiar” understanding of the law and suggested it is “not believable” coming from someone who has been on council for a dozen years. Alan Lenczner, Mr. Ford’s seasoned litigator, countered that it does not make sense that a councillor would not be able to weigh in on an integrity commissioner report concerning his or her conduct, because that would “muzzle” city councillors. He added that the city did not have the authority to demand repayment in the first place.

Mr. Ford’s brother, councillor Doug Ford, defended the mayor and accused the left of “chasing him down” with a legal fight ahead of the 2014 election.

“It wasn’t about a city contract,” he said in September. “It wasn’t about city money. This is an individual supporting kids. They will twist it any way they can.”

[npooyala src=”1mb3k4Nzp8Z3oJlHD6HXLRyLDAWC6RD1″ playlist=”yes]

Councillor Josh Matlow called the ruling “shocking” and unprecedented.

“It’s a lesson to every municipal official across Ontario that when you get elected, read the rulebook,” Mr. Matlow said, noting the city needs to get away from the “constant reality show” that has become Mr. Ford’s tenure, and instead focus on priorities such as transit and economic development.

[np_storybar title=”Marni Soupcoff: Rob Ford’s removal is an insult to Toronto voters” link=”http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/11/26/marni-soupcoff-rob-fords-removal-is-an-insult-to-toronto-voters/”%5D Council was fully aware (probably sick to death) of Rob Ford’s relation to the matter he was voting and speaking on. It was not a situation where a council member was speaking and voting on a deal that would secretly land him some extra cash or business opportunities. It was a situation where a council member was openly trying to defend himself from sanctions he deemed unfair.

But the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act makes no distinctions between the two situations. Which makes no sense.

“We can’t have a daily absurdity. We need to focus back on the job at hand,” he said.

If the mayor’s anticipated appeal is unsuccessful, Mr. Matlow said he supports a byelection.

Councillor Janet Davis said council should not “rush into decisions” on how to move forward, but rather start carefully considering options.

“We’ll all be thinking, what is in the best interest of the city? We’ll be listening to our constituents,” she said.

The decision, albeit surprising, cannot stop the business of the city, especially during budget season, Ms. Davis noted.

“The mayor’s not above the law, and the judge said that today,” she said. “He often breaks the rules and gets away with it. Well this time he didn’t… Sometimes he’s stubborn and pig-headed and this is where he’s landed himself because of it.

“It’s a surprise,” Ms. Davis added. “I sort of thought there would be some kind of a loophole.”

“Justice was done today,” Councillor Joe Mihevc declared.

“I’m sure he is having a heart-to-heart with himself and with his inner team today,” Mr. Mihevc said.

He called it “a good day for respect for law and order,” but “a sad day for Torontonians.”

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Councillor Adam Vaughan, one of the mayor’s bitterest rivals, urged council to take a “take a deep breath,” seek legal advice and talk to residents about possible next steps.

Mr. Vaughan, whose name has long been in the mix as a potential mayoral candidate, deferred questions on whether he would launch a bid.

Ford, when testifying in court, essentially said he didn’t think he was in a conflict of interest because … he didn’t think he was in a conflict of interest. Did he actually know what the definition of a conflict of interest was? He did not, the mayor conceded. Had he read the handbook that Toronto gives all its elected officials and that would have explained it all to him? Nope. Why not? Ford didn’t think he needed to learn anything more about government. His daddy had been a one-term MPP, elected when Ford was 26.

“Those conversations have nothing to do with the court trial,” he told journalists, who hovered by the dozens outside Mr. Ford’s office.

Mr. Vaughan said the mayor’s “sense of entitlement” regarding the rules of council have put the city in a bad spot.

“It’s not a question of whether Ford’s finished or not,” Mr. Vaughan noted. “The question is, what’s Toronto’s next step?… The business of the city is best done on the floor of council, and unfortunately some people keep dragging us into court. I hope that practice stops.”

Ford ally Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said he was “a little bit surprised” by the ruling. He supported the mayor’s decision to appeal.

“My preference is for the city to keep running. My preference is to tell any investors that are looking at investing in the city to keep investing. We can get over this glitch,” he said.

Mr. Mammoliti cited glaring problems with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, which was also targeted for criticism in Mississauga’s recent judicial inquiry.

“The judge had no choice in ruling the way he did,” Mr. Mammoliti said, noting the legislation was not geared toward big cities such as Toronto.

He believes the conflict case was politically driven.

“There are some… that did not win politically, democratically at the last election and very clearly set out to create chaos,” Mr. Mammoliti said. “They’ve achieved it… The city of Toronto is now in turmoil.”

In the event Mr. Ford’s appeal is unsuccessful, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong says he favours a byelection.

“Democracy needs to be served and if there’s a significant portion of council mandate left, I think democracy demands for the largest city in this country, that the people would be interested in being asked their view on who should lead the city,” Mr. Minnan-Wong said, as a Ford supporter wandered outside the mayor’s office, shouting his disapproval at the judge’s ruling.

“I think there’s a portion of the public that is very happy about this. There’s a portion of the public that is very angry about this, [but] what the majority of the public wants, is they want stability,” he noted.

Councillor Paula Fletcher, meanwhile, was troubled by the mayor’s own comments.

“His characterization of the [situation] as being political is very unfortunate… It is simply a legal decision,” she said.

Observers and politicians alike took to Twitter to register their shock at the verdict:

Justice Hackland's ruling today it doesn't change much from my perspective. Mayor Ford has been absent from his duties for sometime. #TOpoli